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We explore what it means to age without asking permission, from the sting of a sarcastic “good for you” to the freedom of choosing joy without apology. We challenge “act your age,” unpack why women are trained to be small, and offer a calm practice to claim space.

• the hidden ways we still ask permission
• “act your age” as a limiting script
• choosing joy without explaining or shrinking
• why women face extra pressure to be accommodating
• how stopping approval-seeking builds real confidence
• a breathing pause to interrupt overexplaining
• a weekly invitation to one small rebellious act
• tease for next week on control

Do one small, slightly rebellious thing this week, just for you

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A fresh year deserves more than another slogan. We’re kicking off with new music, a hard-won cancer-free milestone, and a plan that puts clarity in the driver’s seat: a solo road trip designed for thinking time, wide horizons, and the kind of quiet that lets your own voice come through. No reinvention theater, no 10-step blueprints. Just the courage to set a route that matches your energy and the discipline to listen when the road starts telling the truth.

Across the miles, I get honest about why I’m going alone, why I’m going now, and why aging isn’t a cue to shrink. We talk about routines that help until they hem you in, the seductive illusion of control, and how adaptability becomes our most underrated skill as the birthdays stack up. I share the practicals too: daylight driving, AAA at the ready, pacing days for long early stretches and slower landings, and yes, the joy of a pit stop in Uranus for fudge and clean bathrooms. Along the way we unpack how driving loosens the mind, why uninvited ideas show up around hour three, and what it takes to sit with yourself without apologizing for it.

This is the start of a series about aging without shrinking, choosing expansion at any age, and granting yourself permission to want more. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to be smaller, more predictable, or more careful than your spirit can stand, consider this your nudge. I’m turning 65, celebrating 38 years sober, and building days that fit the life I actually want. Come ride along, reflect, and ask yourself what your road could give you if you stopped asking permission.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a brave nudge, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations. Want more on sobriety and sustainable change? Search Unbottled by Marcy Backis wherever you get podcasts.

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The loudest voice in January insists we start over, buy more, and hustle harder. We’re not doing that. We’re choosing intentions—gentle, flexible guardrails that help us evolve without the shame spiral that usually follows broken resolutions. If you’re tired of feeling like a failure by the second week of the year, this conversation will feel like a deep breath.

We unpack why resolutions fall apart so quickly: they start from a story that you’re broken and need fixing. Then we offer a kinder framework that begins with reflection. What drained you last year? What surprised you? Where did you grow without noticing? From that ground, we set one to three intentions that focus on how we want to feel and how we want to show up. You’ll hear five practical intentions you can borrow—listening to your body, protecting your energy, staying curious, nurturing relationships, and enjoying life now—and how to translate them into choices you can sustain.

Throughout the episode, we weave in real-life context: a noisy city day after the holidays, travel plans for a milestone birthday, navigating a medical year with more self-advocacy, and practical boundaries for work and the phone. We show how to use intentions as a daily compass by asking, “Does this support my intention?” and how to check in monthly, adjust without guilt, and celebrate progress—especially on the messy days when getting through is the win. It’s an honest, encouraging reset for anyone craving growth without the grind.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who hates resolution season, and leave a review so more people can find it. And don’t miss our new sobriety-focused show, Unbottled, dropping three launch episodes on January 1—tune in and tell us your first intention of the year.